


The Promise of Friendship

by hybridempress



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Drabble, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2015-09-26
Packaged: 2018-04-23 12:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4876606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hybridempress/pseuds/hybridempress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the second day of an Allied Powers meeting, Ivan seems more hostile than usual. Francis decides to confront him about it, and finds out that it's because Ivan feels like he has no friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Promise of Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little drabble that I wrote up in the car while my family was driving to Florida. Inspiration struck me after seeing the most recent episode of Hetalia: The World Twinkle, in which Lithuania made Russia feel sad by telling him that he didn't really have any friends :( I decided I had to write a remedy for Ivan's woes, and what better way to do it than with a little RusFra fic? <3

    Silence lingered in the air of the meeting room as five countries belonging to the Allied Forces sat together at their table. America, Canada, China, England, and France were all present and accounted for. However, one Ally was still missing, and that country was Russia.  
  
    No one was really worried about it. When it came to Allied meetings, at least one person was always late, and nobody minded waiting for whoever it was to arrive before they began. Though Ivan was hosting the meeting this time around, he had been late yesterday, and the other Allies had been counting on him being late again today. His boss was always putting him up to something...  
  
    It was fifteen minutes past the time that the meeting was supposed to have begun when the Allies finally heard the meeting room doors open again. Each of them turned their heads back to look at the doors to see that Ivan had indeed finally arrived. Francis and Matthew both greeted him with inviting smiles, though the expressions of the remaining countries were neutral as ever.  
  
    "How nice of you to finally show up, Russia. Thank you for not joining us while covered in blood this time," Yao greeted. His tone was sarcastic, but the meaning behind his words had been serious.  
  
    The entire room was taken aback when Ivan walked to his chair and sat down without saying anything in response to Yao's greeting. There was no witty comeback. No ghastly threat made by a completely innocent-sounding voice. No flicks in the arm or the forehead or the nose. Nothing.  
  
    Ivan seemed hostile today. He was quiet, cold-looking, and gave off an overall unfriendly aura. This was in stark contrast to his usually cheerful, playful, and sickly-sweet personality. There was something very off about Ivan today, though none of his companions dared to ask what was wrong, for fear that he would gain the notion of bashing their skulls in when they were least expecting it.  
  
    "Let us be skipping the jokes today,  _da?_  We are being fifteen minutes late already. Let us be jumping right into it," Ivan grunted once he was seated.  
  
    "I... Okay..." Yao said slowly, and cleared his throat awkwardly. "With that attitude, we might actually get something done today..."  
  
    With Ivan's antics out of the way, and the rest of the countries too intimidated to annoy Ivan, the meeting progressed more smoothly than it ever had before. Plans were made, shared, improved, and combined until everyone involved was comfortable and satisfied with them. Even though they had started late, they had finished well before they had intended to.  
  
    Like Ivan, Francis had stayed quiet through the meeting, only speaking up when Yao indicated that it was his turn. This was because, for the better part of the meeting, Francis was trying to figure out what exactly was wrong with Ivan without having to ask him. He found, to his surprise, that he could not read Ivan beyond his hostile aura. While Francis could usually easily guess how the people around him were feeling, Ivan was a closed book to him, and it left him puzzled in the worst way.  
  
    One thing was for sure, though, something was troubling Ivan deeply. Francis may not have known what it was, but he was worried about Ivan. He wasn't intimidated by Ivan like the others were. The only reason that he didn't make a fuss during the meeting is because he knew that Ivan wouldn't answer him while everyone else was watching. This was something that he was going to have to deal with after the meeting, and he  _would_  deal with it.  
  
    When the meeting ended, Ivan was the first to get up to leave. Much to everyone else's surprise, after Ivan had left the room, Francis stood up quickly and ran after him. It didn't take long for Francis to catch up with him.  
  
    "Ivan- Ivan, wait! I need to talk to you!" Francis called out, but Ivan didn't stop walking, and Francis had to walk faster in order to be able to walk in front of him.  
  
    "Ivan, please, talk to me. I want to know what's wrong. I want to help!"   
  
    Ivan stopped walking and stared at Francis blankly. "I know that we are Allies, France, but are you not thinking that it is a little inappropriate for you to be using my first name?" he asked.  
  
    Francis' face fell. "What...?" he asked softly. "B-but you never had a problem with me calling you by your first name before...!"  
  
    "That was before I was knowing how we are all really feeling about each other," Ivan said.  
  
    "What do you mean...? Ivan, what are you saying?" Francis asked.  
  
    "Lithuania told me yesterday. I am not having any real friends. None of us really care about each other. We are just using each other and our powers to gain more power for ourselves," Ivan replied.  
  
    "What? Ivan, no, th-that's simply not true at all! I don't know why on Earth Toris would have said that to you, but you can't believe him. Why would you ever think that you didn't have any friends?" Francis asked seriously.  
  
    "Because it is true. I was not wanting to believe Lithuania when he said it, but the more I was thinking about it, the more I was knowing that he is right. This is why you all avoid me. You are afraid of me. This is why America is always suspicious of me. This is why England says 'ugh' before he addresses me. This is why Lithuania runs away when I ask him if he is my friend. It is because I have no friends. If I am having no friends, why should I bother to be friendly? There is no point in it," Ivan explained.  
  
    "Oh, Ivan..." Francis whispered, reaching for Ivan's hands and taking both of them in his own. "Ivan, you have lots of friends, I promise you... Natalya and Katyusha, they love you, they are your friends. Toris may be intimidated by you, but it is only because he is under your control. He cares about you. Alfred is young, and he needs to warm up to you more, but I know that he likes you. He admires you and respects you. Arthur and Yao have trouble expressing their feelings to anyone. But most importantly, I care about you a great deal. I am your friend, and I promise you, no matter what terrible battles the future holds for us, either fighting for each other or against each other, I will always be your friend again at the end of it all. Do you understand that?"   
  
    "I-I...  _Frantsiya..._ " Ivan whispered, taken aback by Francis' words. " _Frantsiya,_  you really are my friend!" he exclaimed, and let go of Francis' hands to embrace the Frenchman in a bone crushing hug.  
  
    Francis squeaked in surprise at first, but he quickly started laughing, and hugged Ivan back as tightly as he could. "Of course I am, silly! That's what I'm trying to tell you!" he exclaimed.  
  
    "Thank you,  _Frantsiya._  I am glad that I have friend like you to cheer me up when I am sad. I hope that I can be doing the same for you someday," Ivan said softly.  
  
    "I'm sure you will, Ivan," Francis assured. "I'm sure you will."


End file.
